Dogs Feel as Tired as Their Owners

We’ve all heard that pet owners are supposed to take on the mannerisms of their dogs, but dogs adopting the same traits as their owners? That’s a new one.

It turns out that when we’re tired we are actually making our dogs feel fatigued as well. Research just released by the University of Tokyo, Japan shows that dogs are increasingly likely to yawn if they see their owners exhibiting similar signs of drowsiness.

Just like the contagious yawn between humans, it appears that dogs feel similar empathy with their owners and are affected by them just as much. To show it wasn’t simply a dog mimicking its owner, strangers also yawned in front of the dogs but got no response.

If we are the ones making our dogs tired, it’s up to us to make sure they have proper dog beds in which to get a healthy night’s sleep. Read more…